


Look Out For Each Other

by Ace_of_Spades_400



Series: You and I Together Forever [1]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Dealing With Trauma, Diego not an asshole au, Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-15
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2020-01-14 17:10:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18480661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ace_of_Spades_400/pseuds/Ace_of_Spades_400
Summary: What if Diego and Vanya were the closest of all the siblings?What if the end of the world was averted solely because Diego would never let anyone hurt his baby sister?





	Look Out For Each Other

Diego wakes up gasping for breath, hands clawing at his throat as he shoots up in bed. He looks around wildly, kicking out from under bedsheets because they’re tangling, tying him up, pulling him down. He’s drowning, sinking, dying….

But he’s just in his room, alone in the dark space. He’s not in that tank, that awful tank with its water pushing into his lungs. 

He’s ok, or at least, he can pretend that he is.

He’d shivered all afternoon after dad had let him out, curled up in mom’s arms as she rocked him and he vomited water all over her skirt, re-learned how to breathe oxygen. 

He’d ended up missing dinner, instead sitting in the infirmary eating saltines while his father glared from the doorway, hissing about weakness.

His stomach is growling now, and though there aren’t any clocks in his room he reckons its late enough that no one should be around to see him if he sneaks into the kitchen for a little snack.

He slips out of his room carefully, stalking slowly down the hall and avoiding all the creaky floorboards with ease. 

He hurries his pace to run past Five’s empty room without looking in, the door wide open as if waiting for their brother to return.

Halfway down the stairs he realizes that there are lights on. The hall lights up ahead and the kitchen light too, which is weird because dad is usually so anal about everyone being in bed by nine.

He sneaks into the kitchen slowly, fingers twitching at his side where he usually keeps his knives. They’re not there of course, he didn’t grab them.

He stops at the door, peering in and he freezes.

Vanya is standing at the counter, crying softly as she prepares something at the counter. Her shoulders are shaking violently but she doesn’t make any sound. Diego remembers, suddenly, that Five was the only one of them to ever spend any serious time with quiet little Number Seven. Now that he’s gone… she’s probably all alone.

He swallows, staring at her heaving shoulders and thinks about mom, holding him tight as he shook earlier, making him feel like nothing else mattered. He slowly steps into the kitchen.

“Seven?”

She jumps, spinning around, hiding the knife guiltily behind her back, like she doesn’t want him to see it. Her face is red and her eyes puffy. She’s obviously been crying for a while. “Diego!” she gasps, wiping furiously at her face with her pajama sleeve. “Do you need something?” 

“Actually, I was pretty hungry… missed dinner.”

He moves cautiously closer. Vanya spins back to the counter, continuing what she was doing before he entered, “Want a sandwich?” she asks, voice soft and hesitant

Diego finally reaches the counter, standing beside her, looking out over her assembled fixings. His heart drops a little. 

Peanut butter and marshmallows. Five’s favorite. He needed to eat a lot of calories to make up for what he lost in his jumps so he ate a lot more junk food than the rest of them were allowed. Peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches were his favorite thing to eat, especially when Vanya made them for him. He’d practically hoard them, glaring at anyone that got too close to his prized snack. He’d nearly punched Klaus when their brother had pretended to take a bite.

Diego knows Vanya hates these things. She thinks they’re too sweet. But he’d bet all his knives that she’s been down here making one every night since Five left.

“Sou-Sounds good.” He answers, and winces when the words get stuck a little.

Vanya doesn’t say anything. She never does. She just pulls out another two slices of bread and makes a peanut butter jelly sandwich. She hands him the plate and he goes to the table. A moment later she joins him, her own pbj in front of her and a third plate piled high with marshmallow awfulness in front of the seat on her other side.

Diego stares at it, at the empty chair and the untouched food. It’s such a sad thing…

Vanya catches him staring and she wilts slightly, shoulders hunching, “I don’t want him to be hungry if-when he comes back.” She corrects herself sharply, determined. Diego wishes he was half as sure that Five would come home.

“He’ll appreciate it.” He says quietly instead, and then stuffs his mouth so he doesn’t have to talk anymore.

Vanya smiles at him, small and so damn hopeful. He’s pretty sure Luther and Allison would scoff and call her childish. That Klaus would just eat the thing himself and Ben would curl up and cry somewhere. Their father would be furious. He wasn’t fond of sentiment or coping mechanisms.

They eat in silence. Neither of them say anything as their plates slowly empty and the third one stays depressingly full. 

Diego stares at Vanya while he eats, considering. Luther and Allison had whatever it was going on between them. Ben and Klaus stuck together like glue. And Vanya had hovered around Five, desperate for his attention and him looking for an audience.

Diego had never had anyone besides mom, and now Vanya was alone. They were an even number now, so it only made sense that they go ahead and pair up.

He stares at his empty plate, biting his lip as he tries to picture the words he wants to say. “Do- Do you want to train with me tomorrow?” he asks

Vanya’s head snaps up, eyes wide, “What?” 

He swallows, “You don’t know how to defend yourself. I can teach you.”

She may not go out on missions but what if the fight comes home with them? What if bad guys storm the Academy and little Vanya is the only one unable to protect herself.

She brightens, the tiniest smile lighting up her whole face, “I’d love that.” She hesitantly reaches out to take his hand, squeezing tight, “We should go to bed.”

Diego nods and stands. After a moment of thinking he picks up Five’s plate and moves it over by the back door. Vanya stares at him. He shrugs, “Make sure he can see it.”

Her smile widens, her eyes wet. She holds her hand out to him and he rushes to take it, holding tight. She leads him upstairs to their rooms, “Good night Diego.”

“Night Vanya.”

He closes the door behind him and drops back onto his bed. He doesn’t have trouble sleeping this time.

++

Diego huddles up in the corner of the library and sobs. It’s the only place he could think of where no one would look for him. 

It was always Ben’s favorite place. But now Ben is….

The house is so quiet now. It had been loud when they’d come back from the mission. Vanya’s violin had been playing and Klaus had been screaming in agony and Allison was sobbing and their father was shouting.

Mom had had to sedate Klaus to calm him down. Vanya’s violin had screeched an awful sound and then she’d run down the stairs to see them. She’d played again briefly, an awful hurried piece, frantic and desperate before it dissolved into nothing. Allison had fled to the attic with Luther.

And now Diego cries, face buried in his knees. He hasn’t cried since he was eleven, since the first time Dad had put him in the tank and he’d vomited water out of his lungs and it had hurt. He hadn’t cried the next few times he went into the tank. Or when they’d gotten that awful tattoo. Or when Five had left.

He cries now. Because Ben is dead. Ben who hated his powers and never wanted to fight and who loved to read and snorted when he laughed. 

The library door opens slowly and he stiffens, desperately wiping the tears off his cheeks before anyone can see. But it’s Vanya, shoulders hunched and tears streaming down her face. Her fingers are bloody from how tightly she pressed on her violin strings.

She comes to sit by him, hugging her knees to her chest and smearing blood all over her skirt. She doesn’t say anything but slowly reaches out to take Diego’s hand.

She’s obviously been crying. Rain pelts the window, though Diego was fairly sure it was supposed to be sunny all day.

He squeezes her hand tight, holding on like a lifeline. 

“Wanna get out of here?” he asks, looking over at her

Her lip wobbles, “Where do you wanna go?”

He shrugs, “I don’t know. Don’t care. Just… we’ll get an apartment.”

Her eyes widen, “You mean leave? Forever?”

“Do we have a reason to stay?”

“I can’t lose another brother….” She says, her voice rough and scratchy.

Diego nods slowly, “Ok… ok. Let’s go.” 

He stands, pulling her up with him. They head up to their bedrooms, Vanya’s first. He stands guard by her door as she pulls out a duffel bag and packs her things, the few clothes she owns that aren’t the uniform. She packs up her violin, the strings coated in blood. 

Once she’s done they switch, Vanya standing watch in his doorway as he gathers up his clothes and his knives. The little cross stitch picture mom had made for his birthday last year. 

Once done they go together up to their father’s office, where the man sits behind his desk, writing furiously in his notebook. He looks up when they enter, frowning, “Number 2, Number 7, what on earth is the meaning of this?”

Vanya shrinks back a little, hiding half behind Diego. He pushes his chest out and forces his hands not to shake.  
“We’re leaving. We want our inheritance now.”

Reginald Hargreeves stands, face twisting in a scowl, “How dare you! After everything I’ve done for all of you-“

Vanya snarls, “You haven’t done anything for us!”

Their father scoffs, “You are all weak. Despite my best efforts it appears you simply aren’t good enough Number 2. Fine, go on.” He turns, opening a safe behind him and throwing several wads of bills at them, “You’ll be back soon Number 2, you are meant to be a hero, you are extraordinary.” He doesn’t say anything to Vanya, who shrinks again.

Diego grips her hand tight as he shoves the money into his bag. “Good riddance you old bastard.” He hisses, and then turns and drags Vanya out of his office and towards the infirmary.

Vanya wipes at her eyes as she hurries after him, “Do you think he’s awake yet?”

Diego grits his teeth, “If not we’ll just carry him out. We’re not leaving him here.”

The infirmary bed is empty and their mom is milling about cleaning up the sheets.

“Mom?” Vanya asks, “Where’s Klaus?”

Their mother sighs sadly, “I’m sorry sweetheart. I’m afraid Klaus has left.”

Diego’s mouth drops open, “What? When? Where’d he go?”

The woman shrugs, “I’m not sure. He woke up about an hour ago, packed his things, and left.” She looks down at the bags in their hands and the sunny grin on her face drops, “Oh… Are you going too?”

Diego shuffles, “Yeah mom…. We are.”

Vanya clings to his hand, “We’ll come visit.” She assures

Grace smiles, leaving the sheets on the bed as she comes to give each of them a big, warm hug. “Take care of yourselves out there.” She says, kissing each of them on the forehead, “If you ever need anything you know where to find me. Remember to eat your vegetables and have breakfast every morning. And don’t forget to call.”

Diego hugs her tight, letting Vanya go in favor of squeezing his mom as tight has he could. “I’ll mi-miss you.”

Grace smiles into his shoulder, “I love you baby boy.” She kisses Vanya on the forehead, “And you sweetheart.”

“We love you too.” Vanya says, wiping at her face.

“Look out for each other?” she asks, stepping back

Diego grabs Vanya’s hand again, smiling at her, “We will.”

They leave the Academy together, hand in hand, and start down the street.

“What about Klaus?” she asks, looking around the street as if their brother will just appear.

Diego shrugs, “We get a place, and then we find him.”

She nods, hiking her bag up on her shoulder, “And then what?”

Diego looks down at her, and he smiles, “I guess we’ll just have to figure it out along the way.”

Vanya smiles back, a little laugh leaving her, and she hurries her steps so they’re walking faster, together, into the future.

++

Vanya drops face first onto the couch with a groan, violin abandoned on the coffee table. She kicks her shoes off the back of the couch and wishes, desperately, for something to drink.

It has been a very long day.

“Bad day?” Klaus asks, sitting on the arm of the couch and starting to braid strands of her hair.

She nods, not sitting up, not moving, not even asking how her brother got into their apartment since no one’s been home to let him in.

She learned pretty quickly that Klaus let himself in and out as he pleased and trying to force a key on him and making him stay put wasn’t gonna work.

Diego had nearly tied him to the couch the second time they’d found him- after Klaus had run away in the middle of the night the first time. But now it was routine. Either Diego would find Klaus on the side of the road or Klaus would show up on their doorstep or their couch at random intervals. He’d stay for a few days, eat all the food in their pantry, use up all the hot water in the evenings, and then disappear like the ghosts he can sometimes see.

Sometimes he’d call them from the hospital or his new rehab center, and Vanya was always the one who went to keep him company the first few days as he came down from his high and begged for drugs. Diego was never able to stomach the sight of their brother like that, broken and miserable.

“Where’s Di?” he asks, and she’s pretty sure he’s trying to French braid her hair while she’s lying down.

She sighs again, muffled by the couch cushion she’s pressing her face into, “Eudora’s coming over for dinner.”

Klaus lets out an excited chirp, “Really! Ooh I’m so glad I stopped by!”

Klaus had heard about Eudora Patch on one of his comedowns in rehab, when Vanya had held his hand and pet his hair and told him about how flustered Diego got in front of his new lady cop friend. He’d wanted to meet her ever since, especially to embarrass Diego and make fun of their grumpy brother.

Vanya is just glad Diego has found someone. He smiles so much more now that she’s around, even when she’s not physically nearby just talking about her makes Diego’s face light up. Klaus is gonna have a field day when he notices.

As if summoned the front door opens and slams shut, Diego bustling in carrying bags of groceries. He groans when he sees Klaus perched on the couch.

“Hello grumpy gills!” Klaus cheers, a little too loud, swaying dangerously on his perch. He’s probably going to start crashing soon, he tries not to be too high whenever he comes to visit because he knows it upsets the two of them.

Vanya sits up slowly, shaking her hair out of Klaus’ grasp as he whines. The half done braid falls apart easily. She stares at Diego and the massive amounts of groceries he’s setting on their kitchen table, “Are we having a feast?” she asks, eyebrow raising

Diego’s cheeks flush a little, “Shut up.”

Klaus giggles madly, “I’m finally meeting Diego’s girlfriend!”

Diego’s blush gets darker, spreading up to his ears, “Shut up! And I want you on your best behavior!” Klaus snorts, “I mean it Klaus!”

Vanya stands and goes to start the coffee pot. They don’t have alcohol in the house, in the hopes of deterring Klaus from drinking more, but she’ll settle for as much caffeine and sugar she can chug. “Does Ben want any?” she asks over her shoulder, starting to pull mugs out of the cabinet.

Diego flinches and starts putting away groceries. They’ve both accepted by now that no matter how drunk or high Klaus gets Ben never leaves his side, and they’re both happy someone is looking out for their self-destructive sibling. But at the same time knowing he’s there and not being able to see or hear him is a depressing. 

Diego doesn’t like to talk about it. He seems to believe that as long as they don’t mention it, it’s not happening.

Klaus swans to the dining table and starts rooting through the bags, “He says yes please! Two sugars! Lots of cream!” Diego swats his hand away from the peanut butter and goes to put it on the shelf.

Vanya sets one overly sugary concoction in front of Klaus and another mostly creamer one in the empty seat next to him. It won’t be drunk, but they all like the sentiment, Ben does too apparently.

She sits on Ben’s other side and drinks her coffee, watching Diego go around the kitchen putting away food and starting on meal prep.

Klaus starts up a steady stream of conversation, most of it poking fun at Diego’s nerves and Vanya smiles, listening. 

One day they’re gonna get Klaus to move in, but right now she just relishes having her closest living family nearby, and she drinks her coffee.

++  
Vanya joins the orchestra in its final bow, the audience clapping enthusiastically for their performance.

She packs up her violin and her sheet music, waving goodbye to her fellow musicians as she heads out into the lobby.

All around people mill about, chatting excitedly about the performance and hugging friends and family that had been apart of it, congratulating and happy.

She clutches the handle of her case tighter as she shuffles around, turning this way and that to find-

“Vanya!” Diego puts a hand on her shoulder, turning her, his face lit up in a proud grin as he pulls her into a hug, “That was great!” he enthuses, kissing her forehead as he pulls back.

He’s holding a frankly massive bouquet of roses in all colors, all wrapped up in a big white ribbon.

She beams, accepting it, “Thank you!”

“Little Vanya did so good!” Klaus squeals, clapping excitedly as he bounds forward to wrap his arms around her in a quick, warm hug, “Ben loved it too!”

Vanya always reserves three seats for her brothers, because she hates the thought of Ben having to stand in the aisle even though no one can see him. 

Klaus doesn’t come to many of her performances, he never remembers when they are, but when he does show up he’s always so excited, wearing his best, most flamboyant outfit, usually with a little trinket he stole for her.

This time it’s a glass bottle full of shimmery bits of broken glass. It’s definitely homemade, and her brother must have spent hours looking around for colorful glass to fill it with.

She beams, “It’s beautiful Klaus, thank you.” She clutches her bouquet in one arm and the bottle in the other, Diego taking her violin for her as they start the walk to the car.

Diego hasn’t missed a single one of her performances since she’s started at the theatre, even when he’s exhausted from a long day at the police academy he always comes, always sits himself in the second row with the biggest bunch of flowers he could find for her.

She puts them in the big vase on the windowsill when they get home, Klaus curling up on the couch like a cat and begging for coffee.

Diego sighs, ruffling his hair as he goes to put on a pot. Vanya smiles, setting her little glass jar next to the flowers, where the light will hopefully catch on it when the sun comes up.

Behind her, Klaus starts whining about being hungry and Diego argues about being a freeloader- empty complaints, because they all know Diego would love nothing more than for Klaus to live with them so they could take care of him- and Vanya smiles.

++

Vanya and Diego get into their first major fight when Diego drops out of the police academy.

Actually, that’s not true. Diego and Eudora get into a screaming match in the living room when Diego drops out and Vanya listens and feels disappointed. But she understands, a little bit. Diego never takes well to orders and people thinking they’re better than him.

No their fight actually starts two weeks later when the news reports start talking about some vigilante superhero going around at night stabbing robbers, rapists, murderers, and kidnappers.

Vanya yells about how she’s worried and Diego yells about how this is who he wants to be. And Vanya cries about losing another brother and Diego screams about how he’s not her problem.

Diego storms out into the night in his stupid leather suit.

Vanya goes to Eudora’s and cries on her couch. 

She goes home two days later and sits on her own couch late into the night until Diego comes home, bleeding and sore. She gets out the first aid kit, patches him up, and makes him sleep in her bed that night, cuddled up together.

They don’t talk about it much, but Vanya starts staying up late playing doctor to her stupid vigilante brother.

Diego gets a day job as a personal trainer at a nearby gym at Vanya’s urging. 

Vanya is still terrified that one day she’s going to be sitting on that couch and Diego isn’t going to come home. 

She buries that in her music, tearing away at her violin until her fingers bleed and her tears have dried.

But this is their life now, they just have to deal with it.

++

Vanya comes home one day with a bright red typewriter and the determination that she’s going to write a book.

Diego stares at her, blinking in surprise, but shrugs. If this will help her then he’s all for it.

He sits at the table most nights while she types, reading over her shoulder or calling criticisms over her phrasing as if he could do any better.

He opens up, slowly, about his own personal training, the horrors he went through. The constant competition.

He drags Klaus home one day and forces him to sit still long enough that he also opens up, spewing a constant awful stream of consciousness about what their dad did to him. Afterwards they both hug him tight, squeezing, and Vanya cries when he won’t.

Klaus translates Ben too, who apparently wants to talk about his own traumas, his own horrors, the things inside him he hated so much.

Diego helps her process everything into words, pointing out when she’s letting her bitterness cloud her and when she needs to let it out more.

He’s very insistent on saying as much shit about Luther as possible.

In the end, Vanya publishes a book called Extraordinary Secrets, the Horrors of the Umbrella Academy.

It sells like hotcakes. At first because people are desperate to hear more about the Academy kids and then because people are genuinely curious about what they went through.

Vanya does readings, at bookstores. Klaus goes to nearly every single one and cheers obnoxiously when she’s finished. 

Someone apparently eggs the mansion because of her book, which makes Diego laugh gleefully and Klaus dance happily around the room.

Vanya is satisfied with her book, her masterpiece. Her last fuck you to her father and everything he’d ever done to them.

They were healing. They would be ok.

++

Vanya wakes up to frantic pounding on the front door. It’s nearly two am and she’d spent the whole day at rehearsal and she’s exhausted but she gets up and cautiously peeks through the peep-hole.

She knows it isn’t Diego, he and Eudora are back on and he’s taking a break from late night heroism to stay the night at her place. 

Instead she finds Klaus, dirty and high as a kite, sobbing on her doorstep.

She opens the door quickly, “Klaus? What’s wrong?”

“Vanya!” Klaus sobs, shoving his arms towards her, he’s cradling something small, “She’s so tiny! I can’t protect her!”

He’s cradling a kitten, a light orange color, its eyes a bright blue, staring intently at her as it mews weakly, nuzzling at the meat of Klaus’ palm.

Vanya’s heart melts a little. “Come in.” she ushers him to the couch, taking the kitten from his grasp and cradling it. Klaus collapses and falls instantly asleep. She sighs, lifting the kitten up to her face. It mews at her and bats a little paw at her nose. Adorable.

She sets the little thing back on Klaus’ chest, her brother instantly curling his arms around it. She goes to grab her shoes and her wallet, “There’s a twenty-four-hour convenience store across the street. I think they have pet food. Don’t let him leave till I get back, Ben.” 

She’s not sure if Ben is even there but she hopes he is. So she leaves the apartment and heads down the street to the convenience store. There is a very small pet section in the back, and while Vanya had planned to only get some cat food and head home, she ends up buying a few cat toys, a litter box, kitty litter, and a little pink collar.

Diego is going to be very unhappy to come home and find they own a cat now, but Vanya’s pretty sure he’ll forgive her.

Klaus is still asleep when she gets home and the kitten has wriggled out of his grasp and is now exploring the top of the couch. She scoops it up and carries it to the kitchen, dropping it on the counter and pouring it a cereal bowl full of cat food. It eats eagerly, little paws up on the rim of the bowl as it scarfs down. 

She picks it up as soon as the bowl is empty and drops it back on top of Klaus, the little thing curling up on his chest and falling asleep. Vanya smiles at them, ruffling Klaus’ hair before sitting back at the table.

Diego is gonna be pissed when he gets home, but she’ll deal with that later.

Instead, she gets comfortable, and starts telling Ben about how things have been since they’d last been by.

When Diego does finally get home, he takes one look at Vanya at the table and Klaus, passed out on their couch, and the little kitten curled up on his chest and frowns, “What the fuck.”

She raises one eyebrow at him, pointedly looking at how Klaus is cradling the thing protectively, “Klaus brought her home.”

He scowls, “We are not keeping a cat. First of all, I don’t like cats. Second, neither of us are home enough to take care of a cat. And third, I DON’T LIKE CATS!”

She rolls her eyes, standing to go pick the little darling up off of Klaus’ chest. Her brother finally stirs, sitting up slowly and squinting at her, “Oh you’re keeping her? Yay!”

“We’re not keeping her!” Diego hisses, stalking further into the room.

“Look at her!” she protests, holding the cat up next to her face, “She’s adorable.”

“A little princess!” Klaus agrees, giggling to himself as he finally stands and goes over to investigate the little bag of goodies Vanya had bought, “Ooh! This will be so cute on her!” He leaps back over and carefully attaches the little pink collar around her neck.

Diego throws his arms up in exasperation, “Is no one listening to me anymore?”  
Vanya just purses her lips, face set, clutching the kitten tight, “We’re keeping her.” She decides, and by the stubborn tilt to her head Diego knows he won’t win this battle.

“We are not.”

Klaus pouts, “But if you keep her then I can come visit more!” 

Diego visibly pauses, and Klaus grins. Vanya elbows him gently, a silent reprimand for playing such a dirty card. Diego would do just about anything to get Klaus off the streets.

At length he sighs, scrubbing a hand over his face, “You both suck, you realize that right?”

Klaus just cheers, dancing in a circle around Vanya and their new housecat, “You hear that Princess, you get a nice, loving home now!”

“Princess? That’s a pretty good name.” Vanya agrees, petting her gently as the little thing purrs. Klaus scratches under her chin, cooing.

Diego stomps into his bedroom, grumbling about how he hates cats.

The next morning, when they all wake up, Princess has curled herself up on Diego’s stomach, and their brother is petting her gently while still half asleep. He takes their teasing with only minimal complaining for the rest of the day.

(Eudora really appreciates the picture Klaus gives her of Diego cuddling Princess on the couch)

++

Vanya quickens her steps, shoulders hunched, breath coming fast. 

There’s a man following her. He’s been following her since she left the theatre. He’d followed her down the street and he’d loitered on the sidewalk when she’d gone into one of the shops to pick up some dinner to-go. And then he’d started following her again.

It’s dark now, because she’d stayed late to get in some extra practice, and there’s no one around them on the street. It’s just her and her follower. No one will hear when he eventually strikes.

She picks up speed, clutching her violin to her chest as she practically speed walks towards the apartment. 

Not that it’ll help her. Diego is probably already out being a vigilante. Klaus hasn’t come around in weeks. And the front gate of the apartment is old and doesn’t latch properly. Even if she got inside her pursuer would be able to follow still, and then he’d be able to force her into the apartment and do whatever he wanted, because no one would be around to stop him.

It’s started raining now, pelting her and soaking her quickly. She’s so scared. 

She screams when a hand finally clamps around her shoulder, grabbing and throwing her to the side, into the alley she’d been passing by. She’s pushed up against the wall, the rough brick scratching against her cheek as her attacker presses her face in. He holds her wrists together at the small of her back, grip tight as iron, squeezing, pressing his body weight into it and holding her still.

Vanya thrashes and screams, trying to free one of her hands so she can get to the knife she keeps in her bag. Diego made sure she had plenty. One in her violin case, one in her bag, one under her pillow. But none of them are in easy reach now. She should have gotten it out when she’d noticed him following her, but she’d been too focused on fleeing, on getting away.

Now she’s trapped, unarmed, at this bastard’s mercy. He breathes heavy in her ear, pressing his body tighter against her, his free hand trailing down her back and grabbing at her ass. She’s wearing jeans, thank god, which means he’ll have to try and force them off of her, which might give her enough space to buck out of his hold and grab for her knife.

She screams again, screaming for help, her voice is starting to go hoarse. 

Suddenly the man screams in pain, letting go of her, scrambling backwards. 

Vanya spins, grabbing her bag off the floor and digging her knife out, holding it up in front of her in case he comes back. 

She doesn’t need to worry. Her attacker is holding his arm, where a very familiar knife is sticking out. She nearly sobs in relief.

Diego is standing at the mouth of the alley, mask obscuring his face, scowling deeply at the man as he backs away. He’s holding a knife in each hand.

“Diego…” she cries, shaking uncontrollably.

His gaze snaps to her, his eyes widen behind the mask and his scowl goes deeper, “How dare you.” He hisses, advancing like a predator on the low life scum that had attacked her, “How dare you touch my little sister.”

The man whimpers, blood soaking his hands and he tries to pull the blade out of his arm.

Diego doesn’t look away form him as he finally stops by Vanya. He puts a hand on her shoulder, “Go home. I’ll be right there.”

Vanya keeps her grip tight on her knife, adrenaline coursing through her, as she picks up her bag and her violin and then sprints out of the alley and home. The rain has stopped, suddenly, and she’s grateful as she pushes open the gate and then rushes inside, bolting up the stairs to the apartment rather than wait for an elevator.

She slams the door behind her and locks it, leaning back against it and breathing heavy, the panic and fear leaving her slowly.

Princess jumps up off the couch and pads over, meowing loudly at her, rubbing against her ankles.

Vanya picks her up, dropping her things haphazardly by the door and going to drop onto the couch. Princess curls up in her lap, purring, and Vanya pets her absently. She’s starting to shake, violently, like Klaus coming off his drugs. A sob tears out of her throat.

A moment later the door opens and shuts, making her jump, but it’s just Diego.

Her brother rounds the couch, dropping his knives as he goes and kneeling in front of her. He rips his mask of and throws it over his shoulder, “You ok?” he asks, voice impossibly soft.

She nods shakily, “Thank you.”

He pulls her into his arms, burying her face in his shoulder as she sobs, clinging to him. He rubs her back, hushing her. “I’ve got you V. I’m never gonna let anything happen to you.”

She just sobs, holding him tight, and lets herself believe in that one simple statement.

Diego will never let anything hurt her.

++  
Vanya is heading home from another late-night rehearsing on her own when she notices the news broadcast in the shop windows.

Her breath catches in her throat and she hardly notices when it starts to rain.

Reginald Hargreeves is dead. The man they’d called father, who had tortured them for years, was dead.

She rushes home, nearly tripping up the stairs in her haste, and finds Klaus curled up next to her front door, clutching a bottle of something, eyes red-rimmed, still wearing his medical bracelet as he laughs hysterically.

“Ding-dong the witch is dead.” He sings under his breath as she pulls him inside. He goes straight to Princess, cradling the cat to his chest as he dances around the living room, singing louder and louder, interspersed with his crazed laughter.

Diego bursts in a few minutes later, out of breath, like he’d sprinted there. His knives are still bloody and his eyes are a little wild.

“He’s de-de-dead.” He gasps, hands shaking.

Vanya nods, and lets herself smile, “He’s dead.”

Diego crashes into her with a hug, sweeping her off her feet. Klaus cackles and drapes himself over them, then takes another drink.

He’s dead. Ding-dong.

++

The three of them- four if you count the specter of Ben that Klaus argues with the whole car ride- go to the Academy mansion together the next morning.

No one else is there yet, but why would they be? Luther is on the moon and Allison is in LA. It’ll take them awhile to get back.

Grace is waiting for them with a wide smile, and she pulls each of them into a warm, tight hug before insisting she goes to make breakfast. Klaus trailing happily behind her asking for waffles.

They’d come back to visit mom a few times a year since they’d left. Usually when they were sure their dad was out of town on one of his expeditions. She always made them food and hugged them and asked how their lives were going.

Diego would never in a million years admit out loud but he was the biggest Momma’s boy in the world and Vanya found it adorable.

The house seems so much brighter without the shadow of their father hovering within it. Klaus decides now is the time to finally slide down the banister in the main hall like every shitty teen movie he’s ever seen. Diego prowls around the house looking for secrets and Vanya finally goes to play with the baby grand in the upstairs study she had never been allowed to touch. Pogo watches them, eyes sad and full of guilt, and he never stays long in the same room.

Allison gives Vanya a hug when she arrives, smiling so sweetly, so warm, citing the need to be a better sister.

Luther scowls at Diego and Klaus and offers Vanya a stiff nod. He thinks Dad was murdered, and he thinks one of them may have done it.

Diego flips him the bird and stalks off. Klaus pours himself a drink and heads down to the kitchen. Allison grabs Vanya’s hand and pulls her away so they can catch up.

Twenty minutes later Five crashes down in the backyard, looking exactly the same as the day he left.

Vanya covers her mouth as a sob threatens to escape, and she reaches blindly for Diego’s hand. He holds it tight.

Five apparently went to the future but he won’t really explain what he saw or what he plans to do before he vanishes again.

Vanya doesn’t even get the chance to tell him she missed him.

Diego stomps towards the front door, angry, raring for a fight. Klaus swans after him, looking for a ride and a free meal. They drop Vanya off at home because she just wants to sleep and cry.

Five is waiting in her apartment, that same confidence and surety he’d had when they were kids in his eyes. He calls her ordinary and doesn’t seem to notice the way she wilts with it. She remembers, suddenly, that Five was the only one as a kid who’d included her, but he’d never been very nice.

He talks about the end of the world and the apocalypse and Vanya’s head is spinning. She hasn’t taken her meds yet and she’s so tired and so much has happened.

She goes to sleep, and when she wakes up Five is gone. She’s half sure she dreamt the whole thing up, Five’s return, so she grabs her keys and heads back to the Academy, because she has to be sure. 

She has a lesson later today, but right now, she just needs to know if Five is really back.

He is.

He doesn’t want to see her.

++

Leonard Peobody is awkwardly charming. He smiles, sweet and a little bit shy, as he clumsily attempts to learn the violin. He wants to connect with his dead father, which Vanya doesn’t really understand. She wants nothing to do with the man anymore.

When he leaves, he gives her the address of his woodworking shop in the city and he squeezes her hand just a moment too long. She’s pretty sure he wants to ask her on a date.

When Diego comes home that night and she tells him, he scowls, shoulders tensing, and demands to know everything about the guy.

He doesn’t end up going to stalk him like he intends, because he ends up trailing the mystery of the diner massacre instead.

The next night, when two masked lunatics start shooting up the house, Vanya shakes violently on the living room couch once they’re gone and Diego holds her tight as he cleans up the cut on her forehead. Luther has retreated to his room and Allison has gone after him. Five is still gone. She hasn’t heard from Klaus.

“Let’s get you home. I’ll give you a lift.” Diego says, but he twitches with the urge to go off after those people.

She holds his hand, “I’ll walk. Just… be careful?” 

Diego nods, and presses a kiss to her temple, “I will.”

She looks around the room at the shattered chandelier and the bullet holes. She swallows, “Check on Klaus?” she asks, and he nods again.

“Go home. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

She goes, but only gets halfway down the street before she remembers Leonard, his soft hands and the little violin statue. Her hands are starting to shake. She doesn’t want to be alone.

++

Diego comes home from being out all night looking for Klaus, who was definitely in the house last night and now is not.

Vanya should be at rehearsal already and he doesn’t want to scare her. He’s going to take a quick shower, grab a bite to eat, and then go look for his little brother.

He runs into Allison on the stairs, wearing her stupid sunglasses and pursing her lips at him.

“What are you doing here?” she asks, looking him up and down like he’s less than her.

He grits his teeth, “I live here.”

She blinks, “You two live together?”

He pushes past her, then freezes. The front door is open, he can hear Princess yowling up a storm inside.

He shoves in, knives flying from his fingertips without thought. There’s a yelp, and then Allison darts forward, grabs the intruder by the arm and throws him to the floor. 

She stops, eyebrows shooting up her forehead, “What the hell are you doing?” she demands, voice cold

Diego pulls out another knife, “You know this guy?”

“Leonard, Vanya’s…. friend.”

Diego snarls. This guy had just broken into their house and was potentially dating his baby sister. He’s gonna gut him.

Leonard throws his hands up, “I’m just returning her keys!” Vanya’s key ring dangles in his hands, jingling obnoxiously, “She left it at my place last night.”

Diego pales, “She went to your place last night?”

He nods.

Allison lets him go, still standing over him and making no move to help him up. He scrambles to his feet. “If you were returning her keys why come inside?” she demands

Leonard rubs the back of his neck, then tilts it towards Vanya’s bedroom, “I wanted to leave her a surprise…”

Diego stalks to his sister’s room and throws open the door. A massive bouquet is situated on her bed, a little card taped the stalks that he doesn’t bother reading. He sighs, “Just get out of here. And if you ever break into our house again I will stab you.”

Leonard makes a hasty retreat.

Diego looks at Allison, “And what are you doing here?”

She huffs, “I’m here to hang out with Vanya, obviously. I’m trying to be a better sister.”

He rolls his eyes, “Whatever. Klaus is missing, I’m going to find him.”

Allison scoffs, “He’s probably shooting up somewhere.”

He clenches his hands into fists, “You’re doing real great at that ‘better sister’ shit.” He snarls, and doesn’t take the time to relish in her surprised, offended expression before he grabs a granola bar and storms out of the apartment. The shower can wait.

++

Diego searches for the men in the masks and for Klaus, half because he’s scared to death of losing his little brother but also half to distract himself from the fact that he killed mom.

He doesn’t get very far in his search, doesn’t even find anything useful when Luther stomps up to him and demands help in finding Five.

Diego sighs. He misses the simpler times of spending his days with Vanya and Klaus and Princess, where the worst that ever happened was he broke his arm and Vanya gave him the silent treatment for a week.

Five is fine, drunk off his ass and spooning a mannequin in a public building but fine.

They take Five back to his place, because its closer. They drop him on the couch and Luther goes to poke around because he’s a nosy piece of shit and Diego goes to the blinking answering machine.

It’s Patch.

By the time he makes it to the shitty motel Patch is already going cold, blood pooling on her chest, eyes empty. Klaus is gone, but the obvious signs of blood and torture remain.

Diego is going to kill these bastards. He’s going to skin them alive.

++

Vanya has not heard from Diego since the night the house was shot up.

She tries not to worry, tries to focus only on her upcoming audition for first chair and nothing else. Not on how she still hasn’t heard from Klaus or how Diego might be dead or how none of her other siblings have tried to contact her.

She’s starting to feel like a child again, the lonely little girl hanging on the edges, ignored and unimportant.

She spends the afternoon after her audition with Leonard, basking in the glory of a wonderful performance and how much fuller life feels now that she’s not on her pills anymore.

She really wants to talk to Diego though, to tell him how much happier she feels, how light. She wants to see the look on his face when she tells him she might be first chair for the recital, wants him to sweep her up and spin her around.

Leonard takes her hand, smiling sweetly, eyes dark, sympathetic, “You know how your family is Vanya.” He says, “They always leave you out.”

But that isn’t true, is it? Not Diego. Diego’s always been there.

He says they should invite them all to her recital, even Luther and Allison and Five. She was just going to invite Diego and Klaus and Ben but… maybe… maybe things will be different.

She relaxes slightly when she sees Klaus curled up at the bar next to her siblings, all except Five whose off who knows where.

And then she realizes they’re having a family meeting, a serious discussion.

They didn’t invite her.

Not even Diego, whose arm is broken and he’s bruised. 

Hurt floods through her, sharp enough its almost physically painful. She thought they were past this whole ignoring her thing, this excluding her.

Her hands shake, she can hardly hear her own voice over the rushing in her ears.

Diego makes a half step towards her, guilty, sorry, but she draws away and heads outside. 

Leonard had made a comment earlier about moving in with him, but she’d been worried about Diego. Now…. Now he might have the right idea.

When the world shakes, when the light posts bend and the car alarms shriek and the rain pours, she can’t believe it is ever her.

(On a day that wasn’t she’ll go back to Leonard’s and cry as he kisses her. She’ll shake and the windows will rattle and he’ll tell her how wonderful and exceptional she is and how she doesn’t need her siblings, doesn’t need Diego. And then she’ll find a book under the bed, her father’s careful handwriting, Number Seven in big letters, her powers and her pills and her imprisonment. And then the world will reset)

She goes home with Leonard, who tells her to pack a bag, that they need a vacation. That they can get away from all this, from her siblings, from her pain. She agrees.

And out in the woods, away from prying eyes and siblings she thought loved her, Vanya finds herself to be exactly what she’d always dreamed of being.

Extraordinary.

++

Diego steals the file from the station, Harold Jenkins, and stalks back out onto the street. Allison has her arms crossed, annoyed, and Five is pacing angrily.

His breath catches in his throat when he sees the guys mugshot. Because Harold Jenkins is Leonard Peabody, is Vanya’s boyfriend, and she might be in trouble.

Allison has apparently broken into the guys house before, because she couldn’t shake the incident at the apartment, so she leads them there now. Diego doesn’t wait for lockpicks or windows he just crashes through the front door and starts looking.

This is Vanya, his baby sister, he won’t let anything happen to her.

The attic is filled with burned and broken Umbrella Academy memorabilia, clear signs of a grudge that’s been building for a long time.

There’s a blood stain on the floor, and he clenches his fist and prays it isn’t hers.

He’s going to kill this guy. He’s going to make it hurt. Going to make him suffer and scream and beg for mercy.

No one hurts his baby sister.

When Five collapses, Allison forces him to take Five back to the house while she heads out to Leonard’s cabin. Diego wants to argue, to trade places, but she wouldn’t be able to carry the little shit up the stairs.

He grabs her by the wrist, squeezes, “P-P-Please bring her home.” He asks her, his voice cracking a little. He can’t lose her. He can’t….

Allison nods, “I will.” And then she hails a taxi and goes to get herself a rental car.

Diego holds Five’s unconscious body, watches her go, and then runs to the car and speeds home.

++

Diego nearly punches Luther in the face as the big man just sits there, staring into his drink, uncaring.

He doesn’t care that a murderer that hates them has their little sister, doesn’t care that he’s the cause for the end of the world.

The only thing that jolts him out is when Five points out that Allison went after him.

Diego is going to stab him, when this is all over.

Five drives, because Diego’s arm is broken and staring to hurt and Luther doesn’t fit behind the wheel and Klaus should never be allowed in the driver’s seat.

Diego’s leg twitches nervously. Faster, go faster. He can’t lose her. He can’t lose Vanya.

++

Vanya screams, hands covered in blood as she tries desperately to stop the flood pouring out of Allison’s neck.

She didn’t mean to do this. It was an accident. She’s so sorry. She’s so sorry. She didn’t mean to-

Leonard is grabbing her, pulling her away, whispering how she had to do it, how its ok, it wasn’t her fault, Allison deserved it.

He tucks her into the car and they drive.

Vanya still cries, sobbing, tearing her har hair with bloody fingers.

All she can see is Allison, begging, pleading, then choking.

Diego… what if it had been Diego? Would she have lashed out like she did, would she have killed him too?

She’s too dangerous. She can’t control this, she doesn’t know how.

There’s too much happening, her head is pounding, and she passes out in the passenger seat before they’ve even left the driveway.

++

Diego nearly throws up when they find Allison, barely alive and drenching the carpet in blood.

He’s seen some grisly things, both while in the Academy and then as a vigilante. But this… this is his sister, bleeding out and dying in front of him.

He doesn’t know where Vanya is… doesn’t know if she’s ok or not.

They race back to the Academy.

He passes out when he sees the needle, an old fear, one he’d never gotten over. If Vanya were he’d she’d giggle but hold his hand.

When he wakes up Luther is still hovering over an unconscious Allison. Klaus is sitting nervously on the couch in the living room, biting his nails. Five is pacing, limping back and forth, muttering.

“Vanya is not important.” Five says

Diego snarls, “Hey! That’s your sister too, little heartless even for you.” Why did Vanya ever cry over him, why did she even miss him when he clearly didn’t care?

Five only cares about the apocalypse, about stopping it, and who cares if Vanya gets hurt before then if they can save her after.

Diego really wants to punch him.

They decide to go back to Jenkins’ place, to see if he’s there. Five just wants to kill him. Diego wants to find Vanya and stab the guy a few times. Klaus follows quickly, still fidgety, still hesitant. But this is his sister too.

++

Vanya shakes on the couch, staring at her hands. All the blood has been wiped away but she can still see it, still feel it, like a phantom on her skin.

She killed Allison.

Now her family was going to kill her.

She’s going to be sick. She runs to the sink, trying desperately not to think of Diego’s face when he finds out she killed their sister, that she was a monster.

She knocks over Leonard’s bag and a familiar red book goes skittering out.

(She has the strangest sense of Déjà vu)

It’s her father’s journal, her father’s careful handwriting, Number Seven in big letters, her powers and her pills and her imprisonment.

He tries to talk his way out of it when he sees her. Tells her he loves her, that he’s trying to protect her. That her family will try to hurt her. That her father was afraid of her.

“I’m the only one who ever accepted who you really are.” He says, smiling so sweetly, hands on her arms, warm and kind.

“That’s not true….” She says.

“What?”

She thinks of Diego, holding her hand, “Wanna get out of here.” Of lazy Saturdays on the couch. Of Klaus giggling madly and swinging Princess around as he belts out Circle of Life and Diego shaking his head but singing along. They love her. Her brother loves her.

She tries to push past him, to leave.

“What have they ever done for you!” he yells, pushing her back, grip turning harsh, unforgiving.

She remembers Diego’s hand on her shoulder, the knife in her hand, the man in the alley.

He’s yelling, trying to convince her that her family won’t care, that they’ll never care, that she’s only safe with him. She pushes back, arguing. He’s getting louder, angrier. Fear is pulsing in the back of her mind.

“I love them.” She says, tears starting to fall. She’s scared, so scared. But she isn’t going to become a monster.

“Your father was right.” He sneers, turning away from her, and she gets a flash of that same shoulder, her father’s turned back, never looking at her. Never seeing her. “You’re weak!” he yells, slamming his hand against the book.

“Stop.” She begs, the noise building, the lights staring to flicker, the room staring to shake.

Pathetic. Nothing. Ordinary. Less than Ordinary. Not special. Ordinary, ordinary, pathetic, nothing.

The world stops spinning, her head clears. The whole house is shaking but she hardly notices. All she can see is him, choking, shaking, straining under her power, lifting up. Begging, as a tornado of debris crashes behind him, pelting into him. And then knives, stabbing into his chest. She drops him

She needs to go home now. She’s tired.

++

Harold Jenkins is dead. The house looks like a tornado went through it.

Five just sighs, annoyed. His kill has been stolen. He doesn’t know what to do with himself.

Diego is just scared, if he’s dead, then where’s Vanya? Where’s his little sister? He goes to the man’s phone, calls home, leaves a voicemail. He has to find her. He won’t lose her. He’s lost too many siblings already.

++  
Vanya steps into the apartment, dropping her violin onto the couch. She’s tired.

Princess rubs against her ankles, purring loudly. She picks her up and carries her to the couch, pressing the button on the phone to play the messages.

The theatre, talking about the tickets she’d set aside for her siblings. Their neighbor whose cat keeps sneaking over to play with Princess.

Allison….apologizing. “I love you sis.” The tears start to fall. Her bow is covered in blood, Allison’s blood.

Diego… “Hey Van, are you there? Look I need you to call me back ok? I’m worried about you. Please I… I can’t lose you. Allison’s hurt, real bad, you… I need you to come to the Academy ok? P-Please be ok.”

She sobs, curling up around Princess, sobbing into her fur.

She needs to go. 

She doesn’t want to be a monster

Too bad Luther never cared about what she wanted.

++

Five leaves them to do whatever it is he wants to do now that the Apocalypse is over.

Diego comes back from dropping the guns off at the police station to find Luther sitting on the stairs, tense.

“Vanya has powers.”

Diego freezes.

Their oldest brother leads them into an elevator and deep underground, to a cell, where Vanya is locked up, screaming, pounding her fists against the door. They can’t hear her.

His blood runs cold.

“You locked up our sister.” He growls, and a knife finds it way into his hands.

“She has powers. Pogo told me.”

Diego jumps forward, but Luther’s hand on his shoulder stops him.

“Let me go.” He snarls, and makes eye contact with his sister. She’s sobbing, pounding her fists against the door.

“She’s too dangerous.”

Klaus holds up his hands, “This is Vanya! Our sister! The one who always cried when we stepped on ants as kids!” an edge of hysteria laces his tone

Diego remembers that. He also remembers her crying in the kitchen, making sandwiches she hated in the hopes her brother would come home. Remembers her slaving away at the violin, desperate to be good at anything, to be special. Remembers her crying, fingers bloody, holding his hand. She was always the one to go comfort Klaus in rehab. He remembers the silence when he’d come home bruised and bleeding, her gentle fingers patching him up. Frowning, holding up the tiniest kitten he’d ever seen, “We’re keeping her.” Her laughter, as Klaus danced around the living room singing Ding-Dong the Witch is Dead.

This is Vanya, his little sister. This isn’t ok.

“You better let her out right now.” He says, voice deceptively even, “Or I swear to God Luther I’m going to kill you.”

Luther’s spine straightens, and he glares down at him, “She stays.”

Klaus’ hand latches onto Diego’s wrist to keep him from stabbing Luther in throat, “What about a vote! This family is so fond of voting! I say we vote on it! I for one, vote on letting sweet little Vanya out of the fucking cage!”

Diego nods, “I agree.”

Vanya starts banging harder, tears streaming down her face to coincide with a loud bang behind them. Allison has entered the room, still obviously weak and using the wall for support as she scribbles in her notebook.

“Allison! You need to rest!” Luther says, hurrying to her side to steady her.

Allison shows her notebook, ‘Let her out’ written in big letters.

Luther frowns, “I can’t do that Allison. She hurt you.”

Allison taps the words again, then turns the page and scribbles, ‘Vote’.

Luther’s frown deepens.

Diego snarls at him, “It’s three against one Luther. Actually, Klaus, what does Ben say?”

Luther and Allison flinch, and Klaus stares at him wide-eyed. It’s the first time Diego’s ever brought up that Ben is around.

But Klaus grins, sharp, and tilts his head, listening, “Ben says fuck you Luther.” He throws up an accompanying middle finger, and his hands glow blue, and at his side Ben appears, glowing the same blue, and he’s scowling, one hand on Klaus’ shoulder and the other shooting a matching bird at Number 1. 

“Fuck you.” He repeats, then vanishes. Klaus slumps, letting out a heavy breath as he leans back against the wall.

Diego claps him on the shoulder, and has to clear his throat before he can speak. They’ll come back to this later, “That’s four against one. And even if Five were here and still an asshole, that’d only be two of you. Majority rules. Let. Her. Out.”

Luther purses his lips, looking at Vanya in her cage and then at them. “Dad clearly believed-“

“Screw dad!” he yells, and one of his knives go flying, imbedding itself into Luther’s arm.

Klaus lets out a tired giggle, “Fuck him.”

Luther roars with pain, hand slapping over the injury and ripping the knife out, throwing it the floor with a clatter. His face clouds with rage and he takes a step forward.

Allison grabs him, yanking, forcing him to turn around as she lifts her notebook up to his face.

Luther gasps in horror, eyes widening, and he takes a step back, “You don’t …. Allison…”

Diego tilts his head to see and grins. 

‘I heard a rumor you stopped being an asshole.’

It has no effect of course, without her speaking, but the intention is clear. If she could talk, she would rumor Luther right now. And the look in her eye clearly says she wouldn’t regret it.

Luther deflates like a balloon and he turns away, stomping down the hall towards the elevator, “When she destroys the world, don’t come crying to me.” 

As soon as he’s gone Diego turns, leaping for the door and prying it open. Klaus joins him, both of them twisting and pulling and finally getting the door open.

Vanya’s sobs return to sound all at once as she throws herself out of the cage and into their arms, burying her face in Diego’s chest and crying.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to.” An endless mantra, repeated over and over.

Diego wraps his arms around her, squeezing, “It’s ok V. It’s gonna be ok. Let’s go home, yeah? Let’s go home.”

He picks her up easily, cradling her in his arms, and carries her out of that place.

Allison and Klaus trail behind him, both watching their littlest sister, both worried.

Diego stomps out of the house, past Luther, sulking on the stairs, and Mom, frowning with worry, and Pogo, shaking his head.

He’s gonna take care of his little sister, no matter what.

++

Diego sits on the couch, Vanya practically in his lap, the TV playing some old cartoon but muted. Klaus sits on his other side, balanced on the arm of the couch, Princess in his arms, humming some nonsensical song. Allison sits on Vanya’s other side, hand on her shoulder, notepad in her lap, abandoned in favor of stroking her sister’s head and mouthing, ‘I love you’.

It’s been an hour since they got home, since Vanya sobbed out apologies and hid in his shoulder. Since Allison forgave her over and over again, assured her she was fine, that she was the one in the wrong, that she was the one who was sorry. 

“We should call Eudora.” Vanya says eventually, voice so much smaller than its been in a long time.

Diego winces at the reminder, hands tightening on her shoulders. Klaus looks down at Princess with a grimace. Diego swallows, “She’s d-d-dead.” He chokes out.

Vanya gasps, shrinking in on herself even more, shaking a little, “Di… I’m so sorry… What happened?”

Allison pats Vanya on the head one last time then gets up, going to root around in the kitchen for the tea kettle.

So Diego slowly tells her about Eudora finding Klaus while Diego was helping Luther look for Five. About finding her dead in a shitty motel. About Klaus and him going to find those psychos and getting his arm shot, about the ice cream truck and letting Klaus drive and the desperate, terrifying fear that he’d lost her too.

“Are you ok?” Vanya asks as she looks up at Klaus, whose fingers are shaking where he pets their cat.

He shrugs, foot tapping anxiously next to Diego’s thigh, “I’m sober now. Yay.”

Vanya swallows, still staring at him, and reaches out to take his hand.

Klaus slides down so he’s on the other half of Diego’s lap and hugs them both tight.

He tells them about the torture- and that makes Allison drop the kettle, likely remembering what she’d hissed about her brother before- and then about the time travel, about the Vietnam War and Dave Katz, the love of his life. Of being happy and content, if terrified out of his mind, and then losing Dave. About coming back to the present, getting sober in the vague hopes of conjuring his lost love, meeting good old dad, and apparently finding his hidden ability to make ghosts tangible.

Vanya quietly tells them about Leonard- Harold- and his beautiful promises and flowery compliments. The way he smiled at her like she was amazing, how she felt so much bigger than her bones when she was with him, so full. About losing her pills and finding her powers, the cabin in the woods and the men in the parking lot, the fear and the loss of control, the exhilaration and joy. About Allison and the anger and the resentment and the bitterness. And then the blood – Allison comes running back over before she can get lost there, cupping her sister’s face and smiling- about their father’s book and Leonard’s harsh words, killing him, so easy, like nothing. And going home for help, terrified, lost, falling into Luther’s arms for comfort and finding only pain.

Diego snarls when she tells them, promising to stab their oldest brother again.

Allison grabs her notebook and scribbles furiously, ‘I’ll help’ underlined twice.  
Klaus looks at Vanya and Diego, taking a deep breath, “So… since I’m sober now I might need a place to stay. Is that couch offer still open?”

Diego practically beams, pulling Klaus closer, “Always.”

Vanya smiles at him, tired, before leaning her head on Diego’s shoulder and closing her eyes.

They all fall silent, only the sound of Allison puttering around the kitchen as she finishes up the tea filling the room for several long moments.

Klaus bites at his fingernails, staring blankly at the far wall, “Hey guys… I wanna try something.”

He stands, going to sit on the coffee table across from them, bare feet up on the surface even though Diego’s told him a thousand times not to. He breathes deeply, fists clenched on top of his knees, and then they start glowing blue.

Ben appears behind him, fists similarly clenched, breath held, looking exactly the same as he did twelve years ago except for the clothes. 

“Ben?” Vanya gasps, and her eyes fill with tears.

Allison’s fingers shake around her pen until it falls from her grasp.

Diego stands shakily, moving slowly around the coffee table and Klaus. He reaches out tentatively, so afraid that his hands will just pass through. But he reaches out and he touches Ben’s shoulder, solid under his touch if a little cold. He chokes on an awful noise somewhere between a laugh and a sob and then he pulls his dead little brother into his arms and holds tight.

Ben laughs, clinging to Diego like he never wants to let go. A moment later Vanya is up too, crashing into his back and sobbing into his jacket. Allison is behind her, wrapping her arms around Ben and Vanya both and pressing the softest kiss to Ben’s temple.

“We missed you.” Vanya chokes out through her sobs.

Ben closes his eyes, relishes in the warmth, “I’ve always been here. I’ve been watching over you idiots just as much as my idiot.”

Klaus offers a tired grimace of a smile, hands starting to shake with effort. “Asshole….”

“I-I’m sorry.” Diego says softly, “I’m so sorry Ben.”

Ben just squeezes tighter, “It’s ok Di. It wasn’t your fault. I’ve never blamed you.”

“But I w-w-wasn’t there.” Diego insists, pushing himself away from Ben so he can look his little brother in the eye, “I was supposed to have your b-back and I went off on my own a-and-“

Diego doesn’t talk much about the mission that got Ben killed. Only the once, when Vanya had written her book, had Diego told her about how he left their brother on his own so he could chase after the ringleader, so focused on one-upping Luther. 

Klaus had been the one to find his body, the beast inside his chest having torn him to shreds, leaving nothing but a bloody mass of meat behind. His screaming had attracted the rest of the family.

“Ben…” Klaus grits out, whole body shaking now, the blue glow in his fists flickering slightly.

Vanya slips through Ben’s body for a moment before he solidifies. 

He frowns, “Klaus can’t keep this up much longer. But I’m still here, ok? I’ll always be here. I love you guys.”

He hugs Diego again and then turns to Vanya and Allison. Allison smiles at him, running one hand over his cheek, feeling how solid he is beneath her touch. ‘Love You’ she mouths and he smiles back, leaning into her touch before looking down at Vanya.

“You’re gonna learn how to control this Van, I believe in you.” He kisses the top of her head, squeezing her extra tight.

“I love you Ben.” She cries.

“Love you too.”

Ben disappears suddenly and Vanya falls completely through him this time, nearly falling to the floor if not for Diego jumping forward to catch her.

On the coffee table Klaus sways dangerously before dropping onto the floor with a groan. Princess jumps up onto his back and makes herself comfortable.

“Yay… family time.” He mumbles into the carpet, “Shut up, I’m totally fine.” His hisses, quieter, and then whines, “Vanya, I’m hungry. Can we have waffles?”

Vanya stands up, wiping the tears from her face with her baggy sleeves, the tiniest smile playing at her lips, “There can be waffles, chocolate chips?”

Klaus hums, “Yes please.”

Diego looks around, at Klaus laying face down on the floor, at Allison wiping at her eyes as she goes to pick up her notebook, and Vanya as she goes to the kitchen, and then the clock. His eyes widen, “Shit, Van, your concert’s tonight.”

Vanya jumps, dropping the waffle iron on the counter, “Oh… It is uh…”

Diego goes to her, putting a gentle hang on her elbow, “Do you still want to go?”

She nods slowly, biting her lip, “I’m uh, first chair now. I’d like to play but… but what if I can’t control it? What if I hurt more people?”

Allison writes quickly in her notebook, ‘I blve in u. want to c u play’

Klaus groans as he hoists himself up off the floor, Princess yowling as she’s pushed aside. He throws his lanky self onto the couch now, looking over at them, “Come on Vanya, you can’t deprive us of seeing you finally rock first chair.”

Diego squeezes her arm gently, “Hey, it’s gonna be ok. You can do this. And if anything does go wrong, I’ll be right there to help you. Ok?”

Vanya nods, and pulls her brother into a hug.

++

Vanya takes a deep breath, shoulders relaxing slowly as she takes her seat at the forefront of the violins. She eyes the sheet music set up before her, tightening her grip on her bow as she watches the conductor ready himself.

She raises her violin to her chin, letting out a long breath, closes her eyes and starts to play.

She’s… never felt her music as strongly as she does now. She feels alive, like the music is flowing through her, apart of her. Even at her audition it had been muted slightly, still coming off the drugs, but now, a few days cold turkey, she feels reborn. A gust of wind blows through her perfectly straightened hair, ruffling her pleated skirt and threatening to send her tie breaking free of her blazer.

She forces herself to take a breath, focus only on the music, reign in everything else, control it.

She cracks open one eye, peering down into the audience. In the second row, in the same aisle seat as always, Diego is, grinning, wearing his nicest outfit that she knows has at least fourteen knives strapped out of sight. Mom is sitting next to him, smile bigger than usual, more real, and she looks so damn proud. Klaus is next swaying back and forth completely off beat. What he’s wearing is completely inappropriate for the theatre but it always is. His fists glow a light blue, and Ben is next to him, smiling, and he flashes her a thumbs up when he catches her looking. Allison is next, dressed to the nines, beaming, eyes wet as she clings to Ben’s hand. Five takes up the final seat, and she almost can’t see him behind the guy in front of him. But he’s there, face impassive but… relaxed too. Not angry, not cold, not desperate. Just Five, almost like she remembers him.

All the people she cares about and wants to be here are here, watching her shine in the spotlight. When her solo finally comes she grins, biting her lip to keep it from overtaking her face.

The world won’t end tonight she knows. 

Not as long as she has Diego on her side.


End file.
